extrovert

American  

[ek-struh-vurt, -stroh-] / ˈɛk strəˌvɜrt, -stroʊ- /

Also extravert

noun

• extroverts
  plural

1. an outgoing, gregarious person who thrives in dynamic environments and seeks to maximize social engagement.

2. Psychology. a person characterized by extroversion; a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment.

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adjective

1. having a disposition that is energized through social engagement and languishes or chafes in solitude, resulting in a personality that is gregarious, outgoing, and sociable.

2. Psychology. marked by extroversion.

verb (used with object)

1. Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) outward or to things outside the self.

extrovert British  

/ ˈɛkstrəˌvɜːt /

noun

1. a person concerned more with external reality than inner feelings

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adjective

1. of or characterized by extroversion

   extrovert tendencies

extrovert Cultural  

1. A term introduced by the psychologist Carl Jung to describe a person whose motives and actions are directed outward. Extroverts are more prone to action than contemplation, make friends readily, adjust easily to social situations, and generally show warm interest in their surroundings. (Compare introvert.)

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Usage

What does extrovert mean? An extrovert is someone said to have a personality type that is social and outgoing. The term extrovert is often contrasted with the term introvert in the study, classification, and popular discussion of personality types. Extroverts enjoy being around other people and tend to focus on the outside world, while introverts are the opposite—they prefer solitude and tend to focus on their own thoughts. Someone who’s an extrovert can be described as extroverted or as displaying extroversion. Less commonly, the word can be spelled extravert. Example: Giovanni was the kind of extrovert who gave everyone a personalized greeting upon entering the room.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• extroverted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• extroverts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of extrovert

First recorded in 1665–75; extro- + Latin vertere “to turn”

Explanation

An extrovert is a friendly person who enjoys talking to and being with other people. Extroverts love parties, talking on the phone, and meeting new people. This noun has a specialized sense in psychology, and its opposite is introvert. Psychologists sometimes kick it old school and spell it extravert. As a psychological term, it was borrowed from German extravertiert, from the prefix extra-, "outside, beyond" plus Latin vertere, "to turn." Thanks, Carl Jung! Its opposite is introvert, which means shy or turned inward.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extrovert extroverts

She describes herself as an extrovert and says she now has opportunities she never imagined growing up in Afghanistan.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Instead of feeling pressure, the extrovert appeared ecstatic simply to be performing on a global stage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

An extrovert better than I was at mingling.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025

"I'm an introvert, and she's the exact opposite. She's an extrovert, she loves people, she loves to have fun. People love her, she has a good heart," he said.

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

Skeet was an extrovert, a goofball, a practical joker.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

In fact, the mixed evidence strengthens the case: If performance gains came simply from hiring a mix of introverts and extroverts, the advantage would be easily replicated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025

Not to mention that the world is designed to reward extroverts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2024

Just like the experience of living in New York is different for introverts than it is for extroverts, the experience of watching Jenna in Season 14 is different as well.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2023

At McKinsey & Company, some consultants do “due diligence” when staffing projects, which often means looking at the balance of introverts and extroverts on a team.

From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2023

Both Reginald and Mary were quiet types, and Ella and I were extroverts.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey